In an area like Paradise, where lovely scenery is sometimes mixed with capricious weather, it is crucial to know the kinds of wind damage your property might incur. Roofs are the most common problem. Even a shed roof could have a few shingles that were put on upside down, as some experts have told us. The bulk of the wind can lift shingles, knock them loose, or even take them off completely. If you've had any experience with that yourself, you know how potential leaks and water damage can really mess up your life. What I can't emphasize enough is the importance of assessing as soon as possible what kind of trouble your roof is really in. Are you going to need a huge, massive re-roofing job that'll cost somewhere between $5,000 and $30,000? Or can you get away with a simple repair that'll only set you back a couple of hundred bucks?
Beyond the roof, windows and doors face significant threats during windstorms, often acting as entry points that wind-strong forces seek out. Winds can break seals, cause misalignments, or shatter glass. Trying to fix such vulnerabilities—not to mention replacing broken panes—takes time and a not inconsiderable amount of effort. Storm-resistant alternatives can buy you and yours some peace of mind. Garage doors that aren't reinforced can be particularly at risk, too, so simply making yours stronger or replacing it with a new door that has been rated for storms can help. Understanding these potential vulnerabilities is crucial; we've got to make good window and door decisions to hedge against erratic weather.
The landscape around homes does not escape the effects of high winds. How that happens and how to fix it are important parts of this story. When wind hits a place, it pushes and pulls, trying to make things move. Trees that are alive and healthy resist wind better than any other kind of plant. But how do they do that? How do they achieve (and retain) their wind firmness? Wind firmness: it is a term familiar to foresters, but less so to most of us. Yet, there is a good chance you will want to know what it means before the next wind event comes your way.
